Razor: Feather - ASD2
Blade: Feather Hi-Stainless (New Blade)
Soap/Cream: The Holy Black - Tangerine Creeper
Brush: Tech Hive Synthetic Tuxedo Beehive 26mm Shaving Brush
The Ultimate Aftershave: The Holy Black - Tangerine Creeper
Wow...okay...a lot going on with the shave this morning. Actually I shaved last night...but who is really keeping track? Just to put it all up front first...This shave involves the July Shave Theme and two pass-arounds! For the "Cool" themed shaves I went with Tangerine Creeper. Why you ask? Well I saw that
@BarberDave used his Lavender Creeper and I thought this would be a perfect time to pull out the Tangerine Creeper. I am also using the Feather ASD2 Stainless Razor that Sam
@woodpusher has graciously loaned to the Cadre. If you are interested in that Pass-Around...I'll link to thread below. The Brush is from Don
@Techichi and he loaned to TSC a couple of his brushes to include his famous Tech Hive Synthetic Tuxedo Beehive 26mm Shaving Brush. I'll also link to the thread below.
First off...my shave was fantastic. As much as I am not a fan of exorbitant prices that their products demand (retail or otherwise), it's hard to argue that they put out a quality product! I don't shave with this soap all that much, because I mostly consider it a novelty shave. Not sure why...as it performs better than most. I really think THB has a pretty solid and great soap base and if their regular stuff is much like this...than it might be a decent buy. I will say that every time I use this soap it seems that my lather and shaves are better than the last.
I have to admit...when I saw the Tech Hive I pretty much thought that I was getting the same old synthetic brush that I have used and have in my den. It's a synthetic after all...right? WRONG! Okay...it is a synthetic, but this thing can make some serious lather! Let me back up a little. I have always wanted a Bee-Hive Handled Brush...and just haven't got one yet. So I was really pleased when this one came in so I could give the handle a try. Yeah...this brush fits nicely into my big ass meat hooks that I call hands. And the weight...it might be one of the heavier brushes I have tried...maybe even the heaviest...but that is not a bad thing. It always amazes me also...that 26mm knots always seem so much bigger than what they are. Or at the very least...they lather so much bigger than what they are. And this one was no exception! The amount of lather I was able to build with this brush using the same load time I usually use, and the same lathering techniques...I was just really amazed. I'll get more into other aspects of this brush in the coming days...but for now...just know that I love how the handle fits into my hand, I love the ease of how I am able to hold onto the brush, and this brush is a super lather maker!
The ASD2 razor comes with the reputation that it is an unusually mild razor. I think that is a bit of a misnomer. I think it can be a mild razor, but when one says the razor is mild, we think that it's not all that efficient. This razor is plenty efficient, and is deceptively more aggressive than one would think. I used a brand new Feather Hi-Stainless blade. Sam has generously but a tuck of blades in the package, but I will leave those for future participants. I had about two and a half days worth of growth...so I thought it was a perfect time to shave. I initially did my WtG pass and decided to do another WtG because of the amount of stubble I left behind. Then on to the XtG and the AtG passes. I thought I would push it a bit and did some cleanup that never really goes well for me. In the end...yeah...I should have just kept to three passes with minor cleanup. Also...I found myself pressing too hard on subsequent passes because I didn't think (at the time) that my strokes were taking off enough hair. In the end I had a really nice shave...but with some minor irritation on the neck. I should have kept to the three passes and I am certain I would have had an absolutely amazing shave. Oh, well, Sam has told me to keep this razor for a bit to use it...so that is what I plan to do. In future shaves I will post about the weight and feel of the razor as well as other things I learn about it.
In the end...I still ended up with mostly BBS shave. My face was actually the smoothest I have felt it in a very long time...the wife even noticed! So several glugs and splashes of the Tangerine Creeper aftershave! The scent doesn't last long...which is good since I shaved at night. But the cooling effect lingered on for almost an hour! Good times...really!
The Danger Zone
Back into the office today. We were all set to go back full time this week, but like the rest of the country...the surge in COVID-19 cases quickly stopped that. So it is every other day again. My days actually in the office are super busy...but it makes the day go by quickly.
We have had a lot of rain over the past few days...and I am ready for things to dry out a bit. My back yard is super tall right now and my weenie dog...Chauncey...doesn't want to go into it for fear tha the grass might overtake him. I'll get to it when I can at least.
I hope the Cadre is having a great week so far! Have an even better day!
